Synchronicity in Black and White
by PrettySoldierPetite
Summary: The Vocaloids "Synchronicity" saga as told in the world of Pokemon
1. Chapter 1

Night seemed to be the only time that Black was happy. During the day he and everyone around him lived in fear of the Boundary Pokémon, Kyurem. To most of the people of Lacunosa Town, Kyurem was a terrible dragon with the power to freeze the land, but to Black, Kyurem was also responsible for his father's disappearance. Daytime meant fear and loneliness, but nighttime was different. Nighttime was when Black could dream, and that was when he would always meet… _her._

Every night, for as long as he could remember, Black would dream of a girl who was just his age. She had wavy chestnut-brown hair worn up in a ponytail with a ribbon that matched her dress. Her eyes were the same warm color as her hair and around her neck show wore a gold chain with a black pendant. Black had never seen anyone like her around Lacunosa Town, but over time he came to think of her as a kind of secret friend.

Whenever they were together she would always sing for him. She had such a beautiful voice, but for some reason she always sounded sad to Black. He wanted to know why, but he could never bring himself to ask. Instead, Black began to join in her song each night and when the two of them sang together it didn't seem so sad.

"_I pray…"_

_ "I fight…"_

_ "…So that I can protect…"_

_ "…So that I can stop"_

_ "…Everyone's smile…"_

_ "…you from crying…"_

_ "…and for the light of this shining world"_

_ "…and stop you from being all alone"_

"_I will bind the future with…"_

_ "I will bury the past with…"_

_ "…a song of Hope and Light"_

_ "…a song of Shadows and Despair"_

_ "I will give my life…"_

_ "I will take that life…"_

_ "…and I will send it on the wind with my voice…"_

_ "…and I will stop it from being washed away…"_

_ "…until my life ends"_

_ "…until my life ends"_

And so it went on for six years until Black had turned fourteen. In that time, Black had come to inherit the Pokémon that had once belonged to his father and even they had become a part of his secret. He had tried to tell himself that the girl was a figment of his imagination he had created so that he wouldn't have to feel scared anymore, but after spending so much time together he had to know for certain.

"Tell me something…are you a real person?" He finally asked one night as she fawned over his Braviary, Brav. She smiled and continued to scratch under the Valiant Pokémon's chin, much to its delight.

"I am," the girl said.

"Please, you have to tell me your name! Where can I find you? I want to meet you in person!" Black pleaded. She laughed at his sudden eagerness.

"My name is White," she told him, but it was already becoming difficult for Black to focus on her. The dream was ending.

That day, Black told his mother about White for the first time as soon as they had sat down for their breakfast. He had almost expected her to yell at him for thinking so deeply about a mere dream, but she instead she just seemed stunned.

"Mom, who is she?"

Black's mother let out a long hum as if trying to decide the best way to deliver some bad news.

Well, Black, I'm sure by now you know the legend of the Pokémon that lives in the Giant Chasm…" she began and Black nodded.

"Everyone says that Kyurem has the power to freeze all of Unova, but it hasn't been seen for years now. Not since Dad disappeared…"

"That is because we are protected by a very special lady called The Diva. It is her duty to bless the land with her songs and ensure that Kyurem does not awaken," she explained. Black looked excited for a moment.

"You're saying that special lady is White? But, wait… she looks like she's only about as old as I am…"

"She's not the first Diva…. and she won't be the last," Black's mother continued. "A new Diva is chosen once the previous one has served her purpose by giving her life…"

"…What?" Black's previous excitement had completely vanished and was now being replaced by horror. His mother lowered her head and let out a sigh.

"Her song is able to calm Kyurem, but she is never able to leave the chasm where it lives. She must chant with very little rest until she slowly grows weaker and finally fades away. Her life is the price for our protection. That's the way it's been for as long as Kyurem has existed."

"But that's not fair!" Black suddenly stood up from his chair.

"Your father felt the same way. When he learned that the daughter of his childhood friend was going to become the next Diva the two of them did everything they could to spare her life. They planned on using the Light and Dark stones to summon Reshiram and Zekrom along with their own Pokémon to defeat Kyurem and end the cycle, but only your father's Pokémon returned along with the Light Stone," she continued, prompting Black to turn his head over to the mantel where the Light Stone was displayed in memorial along with a photo of his father.

"What about the Dark Stone?" he asked, staring intently at the white orb as if he were already trying to formulate a plan.

"It disappeared along with your Father's friend and his Pokémon. No one knows what became of it."

Black made a disappointed sound, but he wouldn't be deterred so easily. He left the table and then made his way to Nacrene City as quickly as Brav could carry him. Nacrene Gym was home to the largest library in all of Unova. There, he researched everything he could about Reshiram, Zekrom, the two Dragon Stones, Kyurem, and the legend of the Diva. He even enlisted the help of his friend Cheren who often worked in the library.

But after an entire day of searching, Black hadn't gotten any closer to knowing how to find the Dark Stone. Finally, he was forced to end his search for the night and return home to Lacunosa Town where he dreamed of White again. Most night's Black couldn't wait to see her again, but on this night he was hardly able to make eye contact with her and he remained quiet.

"Black, are you okay?" she asked. He kept his focus firmly on his feet, but he clenched his fists and his shoulders shook as if he were ready to burst. Finally, he did.

"Why… why didn't you tell me that you were going to die?" Black blurted on the verge of tears.

"That's just what my fate is. It doesn't have anything to do with you…"

"No!" he cut her off.

"You've been calling out to me for help this whole time, haven't you? There has to be something I can do!"

"There's nothing you can do, Black! People have tried to fight Kyurem in the past and they have all failed," White said, now welling up with tears of her own.

"I don't care. I'm going to save you. I'll find a way, I promise!" Black cried. He threw his arms around her and pulled her into a close embrace. White could see all five of Black's Pokémon over his shoulder and they all seemed to share the same conviction as their trainer. She finally lifted her arms to return his hug and buried her face in his shoulder to sob.

"Okay…" White conceded. The two continued to hold each other until a sudden warm feeling ignited between them. They both opened their eyes and pulled apart to arms to look at the same source of light that was creating the warmth. The pendant around White's neck was glowing.

"White, what is this?" Black asked. She looked back up at him, but before she could answer she faded away again. When Black awoke this time it was still dark out, but there was a light coming from outside his bedroom door. He followed the light to its source downstairs until he saw that it was coming from the Light Stone sitting on the mantle. Black approached the Stone and picked it up, but the light soon faded.

It was brief, but White's stone had been reacting to his. He had finally found the Dark Stone. Black wouldn't go back to sleep that night. He took the Light stone and strung it on a chain to wear around his neck the way White did before he left for Nacrene City once again with the help of his Braviary.

The sun still hadn't fully risen when Black began pounding on the door of the Nacrene Gym.

"Cheren!" he called in between knocks. Finally, there was a click from inside and the door opened. Unlike Black, Cheren's hair was unkempt and he still wore a nightshirt after being pulled from his sleep. He squinted to see without his glasses.

"…Black, do you have any idea what time it is? You're going to wake up Lenora…" Cheren said in a flat, weary tone.

"Cheren, I found it!"

"…Found what?"

"The Dark Stone! I know where the Dark Stone is!" Black quickly explained. Suddenly, Cheren didn't seem so tired anymore. He reached inside a pocket for his glasses and put them on his face before he opened the door further and stepped aside.

"Alright, come inside," Cheren said, showing Black to an area in the Library where they could sit. Black told him about his latest dream that had led him to believe White had the Dark Stone with her. He even showed Cheren the Light Stone that he had brought with him, but Cheren still didn't seem convinced.

"You really expect me to believe this imaginary friend of yours has the Dark Stone?"

"White isn't imaginary! And I know what I saw. The Dark Stone was lost somewhere in the Giant Chasm and now White has it," Black protested.

"Even if she does, Black, researching Kyurem is one thing, but fighting it is something else entirely. What you're talking about is suicide."

"I have to do something. Even if there is a chance I'll die, White will for sure if I don't at least try," Black said firmly as he rose from his seat and turned to leave the Library. He called out his Braviary and prepared to leave Nacrene City until the door to the Gym opened once again behind him. Cheren stumbled out.

"Hold on," Cheren called after him as he struggled to fit his right arm into the sleeve of his jacket and tighten his red tie after hastily dressing.

"If you're really going to do something this stupid, then you can't go alone. I'm coming with you so that I can at least try to bail you out when you finally come to your senses," he said. Black began to smile in gratitude.

"That's fine. If you end up having to drag me home to Lacunosa Town you can lecture me all you want when we get back," he replied. Cheren smirked back and gave a nod as he reached into his coat pocket for a Pokéball. He called for his Unfezant and quickly mounted the Proud Pokémon to follow Black and his Braviary.

Flying north, the two would first pass Reversal Mountain before reaching Route 13. It was the most direct path to the Chasm, but the terrain soon became so thick with trees that it would be difficult to spot the cave leading into the Chasm from the sky. Black and Cheren had no choice but to land near the Western Gate of Lacunosa Town and continue on foot. Most of the road here was normally blocked off to prevent the people of Lacunosa City from entering the Chasm, but now the earth was churned up as if all of the former obstacles had been dragged across the ground and recently cleared away.

"I wonder what did all of this…" Black mused out lout as he ran his hand over the face of a large rock. Just then, he heard a giggle.

"We did!" A voice said, accompanied by a hardy 'woof' in affirmation as a girl with blonde hair and a familiar green hat emerged from behind the boulder, accompanied by her Stoutland.

"Bianca?" The two boys gaped, but she merely smiled at them.

"Black, your mother was worried about you when she noticed you were missing this morning and she asked me to look for you. She told me about the dreams you've been having, so I thought you might come this way."

"Y-you did?" He asked nervously. Apparently Bianca knew Black better than he thought, but his journey would come to crashing halt if she told his mother where he was…

"Don't worry; I'm not going to tell." Bianca said. She had seemed to read Black's mind again, but he looked mildly relieved. He and Cheren began to walk past her until Bianca spoke again and caused them both to freeze.

"…on one condition…"

"Uh…" Both boys droned, wincing slightly.

"You take me with you," Bianca opened her eyes as she finished, revealing a much more serious face. Black's face brightened while Cheren just looked stunned.

"I couldn't stand it when I heard what was happening to Black's friend. She's already been in that chasm for years now…all alone. What if I had been the one they picked? I know I'd want someone to come find me. Besides, as far as I'm concerned if she's a friend of Black's she's a friend of mine, and that's good enough for me."

"Thank you, Bianca," Black smiled while Cheren uttered a small groan and buried his face in his hand. Babysitting Black alone would be hard enough, but now he would have to worry about Bianca's safety as well. It was already too late, though. Bianca had cleared the path for them and now there was nothing to stop the three from continuing.

The only thing separating Black, Bianca and Cheren from the Chasm now was a small cave that marked the edge of Route 13. Crater Forest lied on the other side, though it could hardly be described as much of a forest now. A good portion of the trees were toppled and stripped of all foliage while a fog hung in the air from the noticeable contrast in temperature from the surrounding areas.

Black recognized this place. This was the forest from his dreams where he would always meet White. It wouldn't be much longer now and he would finally be able to meet her in person.

As the trio neared the center of the Chasm they came to a small lake. On the opposite bank was the cave where Kyurem was said to live, but from a distance and with the fog, the large rocks and trees that surrounded the cave almost made it look more like a castle. Once they reached the bank of the lake, a faint voice could be heard. It was singing. Black held out his hand to prompt Cheren and Bianca to stop so that he could listen, but he would know the song anywhere.

"White?" Black called. His voice echoed across the lake and the song stopped. There was a brief moment of silence and then a roar. All at once, the ground began to shake, the wind howled and a heavy snow fell. The storm raged for what felt like forever, even though it had only been a whole minute. Then it suddenly died just as quickly as it had come. The lake was now frozen solid and a blanket of snow covered the ground.

"What… what was that?" Cheren asked as he kept his eyes trained on the cave.

"It almost sounded like… a snore…" Bianca reluctantly offered.

"…A snore?" Cheren repeated incredulously.

"No way, if that was just Kyurem's snore I'd hate to see what it can do when it's fully awake! Black, are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, but to his surprise Black didn't look scared at all. Instead, he looked across their newly formed ice path with pure determination.

"…As sure as I've ever been."


	2. Chapter 2

The inside of Kyurem's Cave was even colder than the forest outside had been. The rocks that made up the wall of the cave all sparkled with a thick layer of frost and stalactites made of ice hung from the cave's ceiling. It might have been a beautiful sight were it not for the creature that was sleeping within.

It was also quiet. Black listened hard for the sound of White's singing, but everything had fallen silent after Kyurem's restless grumble. Even most of the Chasm's inhabitant wild Pokémon had all but vanished now that their home was covered in snow, but that might have been for the best. It at least meant that there would be one less thing preventing the group from reaching White and Kyurem.

As the three continued deeper into the cave, Cheren's pace began to gradually slow until he fell behind both Black and Bianca. Soon, the sound of the shuffling of his feet was the only indication that he was still with them. There was then a soft tinkling sound like glass hitting glass and Cheren's footsteps stopped entirely. Bianca was the first to notice.

"…Cheren?" She asked as she paused to turn around before letting out a cry that caused Black to stop and turn as well. Cheren had been brought to the ground by a chain made of pure ice that was attached to a Pokémon that resembled a large snowflake. It hovered slightly about the ground and had a rather menacing face frozen on its face.

"Well, what do we have here?" A voice asked as an older man with grey hair wearing a large, heavily padded purple coat with a tall matching hat seemed to appear out of nowhere from a catacomb that had blended in with the rest of the cave's walls, accompanied by a second Cryogonal.

"Let him go! Who are you?" Black shouted.

"I am Zinzolin, one of the Seven Sages charged with the protection of the Unova Region, but that is not important right now. What is a group of children like you doing in a place like this?" he asked. The Cryogonal holding Cheren made a low grumble in agreement and tightened its grip on the struggling boy, who grunted in protest.

"Stop it!" Bianca cried.

"Hold on! If you're really here to protect the region, then does that mean you know about White?" Black quickly asked. Zinzolin merely raised an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, I know fully well who that girl is and why she is here. After all, I was one of the ones who selected her to be the Diva," he answered plainly.

"But there is more to it than that. She also isn't able to leave this place, or even rest! Don't you see? She'll die if she has to keep this up so we're here to get rid of Kyurem and put an end to this once and for all!" Black pleaded, but Zinzolin didn't seem impressed or even moved at all

"I'm afraid there is no way for you to just 'get rid' of Kyurem, that is why I am here. The Seven Sages exist to ensure that nothing stops the Diva from fulfilling her duty. It is a tragedy, but the life of one girl every generation or so is a small price to pay for the safety of the region. However… if you're so concerned with the value of one life, then I suggest you start concerning yourself his," Zinzolin said as he brought up his hand and snapped his fingers.

Cheren let out a yelp as the Cryogonal lifted him off the group by hovering higher and began carrying him down the dark catacomb Zinzolin had first appeared from.

"Cheren!" Bianca cried a second time. She and Black both readied themselves to run after him as Zinolin turned, but the second Cryogonal slid in their path behind its trainer and evaporated its body into a dense fog. Black was quickly cut off from Bianca and their effort to search for each other only caused them to drift further apart.

"Brav, I need you to help me clear this fog away," Black said as he began to reach f or a Pokéball, but as soon as he held the ball up something shocked his hand and caused him to drop it without releasing the Braviary. Black turned his head towards the source of the attack in time to see the residual sparks of electricity coming from an Elektross as the fog cleared.

Standing next to the Elefish Pokémon was a boy who appeared to be the same age as Black and his friend with dark hair that stuck out in wild spikes. He had sharp burgundy eyes and wore a red coat with a tall collar that covered most of his face.

"I won't be so gentle next time, now leave," the boy said as Black wrung his wrist before reaching for a second Pokéball without taking his eyes off of his opponent.

"Are you another Sage like Zinzolin?"

"No, I'm not," he answered, surprising Black slightly.

"Then why are you here?" Black continued to ask, but the boy only gritted his teeth in anger.

"It doesn't matter! I tried to give you a chance to leave on your own, but it looks like I'm going to have to use force. Elektross, Wild Charge!"

The eel-like Pokémon let out a growl in affirmation and began to charge its body with electricity again. Black only had a split-second to react. He quickly dove out of the way to narrowly avoid a second shock as the Elektross hurled its body at him and instead, smashed into a rock that Black had been standing near. It shuddered with the recoil of its own electricity, giving Black just enough time to call out his second Pokémon.

"Bo, use Flamethrower!" he called. An Emboar appeared in a flash of red light and immediately issued a powerful stream of fire from the flames that surrounded its neck.

"…Elektross!" The other boy issued his command by stretching out his hand with his palm open in a mime for a counter. As soon as his Pokémon had recovered it turned towards Bo and spat out its own jet of fire. The two streams crossed then burst in a reaction that blew the two Pokémon back and both trainers had to shield themselves from.

"Why are you helping the Sages?" Black pressed again while there had been a slight break in the battle as boy boys returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs. This time, the boy answered with another question.

"Why do you want to fight Kyurem so badly? If a draw is the best you can do against me then you don't stand a chance."

The brutal assessment of his apparent strength made Black lower his head in shame, but his goal was still as clear as ever.

"Because… there is someone here I want to protect," he said. The boy stared at him for a moment before letting out a sigh and averting his gaze.

"Then that makes two us…" he mumbled, but not quietly enough that Black couldn't still hear.

"Who?"

"My little sister…" the boy sighed again. He still avoided eye contact with Black who continued to stare, this time with sympathy.

"A few months ago, one of those Sages appeared in Aspertia Town. They said they wanted my sister to be the next Diva. I couldn't let that happen, so I tried to volunteer myself instead. They said that because I was a boy I wouldn't be able to take the Diva's place, but if I helped take on their role of protecting the Unova Region I would at least be able to watch over her when the time came…"

Black face shifted from sympathetic to a look a sheer horror. White's replacement had already been selected. He had even less time then he thought.

"You're right, we really are the same. But giving up your freedom with your sister's isn't going to solve anything. If you really want to protect your sister, then fight together with me and my friends. We can defeat Kyurem so that no one has to suffer ever again," Black said, taking a step closer to the other boy and opened his arms beseechingly.

By now, the other boy was staring at Black with wide eyes, almost in awe of his resolve. It was enough to make him want to believe Black, but he was still reluctant. His eyes then came across the Light Stone around Black's neck. He knew what it was. On his own Black might not have a chance against Kyurem, but if he were able to use the power of the Pokémon in that stone along with its counterpart he might be able to fight after all.

"…Alright. I'm in, so now what do we do?" the other boy asked.

"First, we need to find Bianca and figure out where Cheren was taken to…" Black pondered.

"I think I might know where he is, follow me!" The other boy gestured over his shoulder as he turned and began to run down the path Zinzolin had first appeared from. Black's face brightened as he watched before scooping up the Pokéball he had dropped and rushed to follow.

"By the way, what's your name?" He finally asked when he had caught up. His new friend smiled at him for the first time.

"It's Hugh!"

Further up the path, Bianca had wandered along in search of either Black or Cheren and his captor, but it was rapidly becoming too dark to see. She quickly reached into her bag and called out her Lampent to light the way until she heard the sounds of footstep up ahead of her.

"…Black?" She began to ask hopefully once she had nearly caught up, but she cut herself short by quickly slapping her hand over her mouth when she also heard a clatter from Cryogonal's chains. Bianca took a step backwards, but there was nowhere to run or Hide. Zinzolin reappeared a moment later, but Cheren was no longer with him.

"What did you do with Cheren?" She asked, trying her best not to appear afraid or surprised.

"Don't worry, you'll be joining him for punishment soon enough," Zinzolin said. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers to signal Cryogonal. The hexagonal Pokémon responded with a low hum as it circled around its master and began rotating its body. Ice crystals began forming around each of its six spokes that grew larger with each rotation.

"Ice Shard!"

"Lampent, Overheat!" Bianca quickly shouted. The flame inside the Lamp Pokémon's body turned from a ghostly blue to bright orange and soon its whole body glowed with the excess heat. It let out a high-pitched squeal as if ready to burst before it expelled a powerful burst of flames directly at the Cryogonal and the fragments of Ice Shard. Bianca braced herself when the two attacks collided, but Zinzolin didn't even flinch. When she opened her eyes there was once again a heavy fog surrounding her.

Luckily, Bianca was at least still able to see where her own Pokémon was. Lampent's flames had successfully stopped the Ice Shard attack from making contact, but Cryogonal had appeared to have melted away along with it.

"…Did we get it?" She asked cautiously as she looked around for any sign of the missing Pokémon, but the only thing she was able to make out was Zinzolin's silhouette.

"Hardly. When Cryogonal's body is heated it turns into steam and it vanishes from sight, but once its body cools down again…"

As the fog began to clear it re-gathered and hardened back into a solid state behind Bianca and her Lampent.

"Night Slash!"

Cryogonal let out another low grumble and lashed out at the two with its ice chains. Bianca let out a squeal as she scrambled to get out of the way while her partner dodged in the opposite direction, but it wasn't so lucky. After expelling a large amount of energy during its previous attack, Lampent had been left in a weakened state, resulting in a hit. It fell to the ground before being forced back into its Pokéball.

Cryogonal then turned its focus back to Bianca, who was already preparing to call out another Pokémon. She quickly threw the Pokéball to the ground as Cryogonal began to lash its chains out again, but it stopped when it was struck by something resembling a long, white sleeve that made it flinch.

"What?" Zinzolin gritted his teeth in annoyance. Bianca's new Pokémon responded with a triumphant squeal as it returned to her side with the same speed as its attack and struck a martial arts stance.

"Great work, Mienshao, your Fake Out worked perfectly! Now use Jump Kick!" Bianca cheered. Mienshao squealed again in affirmation as it sprang up and dove back down at Cryogonal with both paws in the air and its leg extended. The kick landed before Cryogonal could recover and sent it flying back into its trainer, who stumbled backwards until both crashed into the nearest wall. The Crystalizing Pokémon fell back to the ground and returned to its Pokéball while Zinzolin slumped forward, unconscious but unharmed.

Bianca took care to step around his body before looking ahead where she could see the entrance to a different chamber within the cave that was lit. Inside, Cheren sat between a wall and a cluster of tall, jagged rocks formed by a constant drip from the ceiling that had been frozen into solid columns to make a complete cell.

"Yoo-hoo!" Bianca called when she and her Mienshao entered to get Cheren's attention. He immediately turned his head and stood when he saw her with a big grin on her face.

"Bianca! What happened to that Sage?" Cheren ask, craning his neck to look past her for fear she had been followed.

"Don't worry; we took care of him, so why don't you use one of your Pokémon to break out now?"

"I tried that as soon as he left, but Cryogonal's chain froze my Pokéballs shut for now," Cheren demonstrated by holding up the Pokéball that contained his Gigalith. He pressed down on the release button, but there was no reaction.

"Alright, then stand back!" Bianca said as Mienshao entered another martial arts stance to await an attack command. Cheren did as he was told and backed into the furthest corner of the makeshift prison as he could.

"Force Palm!"

Mienshao drew back its foremost paw and swung directly at one of the frozen pillars with a shout. There was a brief pause before all six of the would-be bars surrounding Cheren crumbled all at once.

"Thanks!" Cheren said as he stepped out into the open to join Bianca. She gave him a nod, but before she could speak another cry redirected their attention back towards the entrance.

"Cheren! Bianca! I'm glad we caught up to you" Black waved as he and Hugh rushed into the chamber to meet them.

"We can head back to the main chamber of the cave now. I know a shortcut," Hugh said with a gesture of his hand to indicate the direction, but Bianca and Cheren both looked confused.

"Black, who is this?" Cheren asked.

"Don't worry, we can trust him. He helped lead me back to you guys after all, so let's just follow him for now," Black pointing a thumb at Hugh with a reassuring smile. Bianca and Cheren both gave their consent to follow the newcomer and soon they arrived back in the chamber where they had first encountered Zinzolin.

"I've never actually seen Kyurem for myself, but the Sages told me that the chamber where it sleeps is just down this way. The girl you're looking for should be there, too," Hugh pointed out the direction once again, but before they could continue a group of six men emerged from the path ahead. They all wore robes similar to the ones Zinzolin was wearing, but each in their own color.

"It would seem you children have been causing quite a disturbance, but I'm afraid we can't let you go any further," one of the Sages said. He had long, faded hair and wore a black cloak that nearly reached the floor with a large collar that covered even more of his face than Hugh's. Additionally, over his right eye was what appeared to be a mask to further obscure his features and he carried some kind of cane with a large crest near the top that seemed to imply he was their leader. Behind him, the other five Sages each readied a Pokémon to help further illustrate their point; a Cofagrigus, an Amoonguss, a Swoobat, a Bisharp, and a Mandibuzz.

"Hold on! We're trying to help protect the Unova Region just like you are," Black began to say until Cheren stepped forward. He was now accompanied by his Gigalith and beside him Bianca had released her Stoutland to aid her Mienshao. On Black's other side Hugh came forth with his Flygon.

"I don't think they're going to listen to you, Black," Cheren grumbled.

"He's right. We'll hold them off while you focus on getting through to White once there's an opening," Bianca agreed. Black started to protest, but Hugh placed a hand on his shoulder and nodded reassuringly.

"Don't worry about us, we can handle it here. Your fight is up ahead with Kyurem; you're the one who has the Light Stone. Now go save your friend and put an end to all of this," he said. Black finally nodded back reluctantly before releasing Brav from its Pokéball and climbing on the Valiant Pokémon's back. The instant he left his friends they would be outnumbered, but maybe he could at least help their fight get off to a good start.

"GO!" Black cried as he and Brav lead the charging Pokémon while the leader of the Seven Sages stepped back to allow for their Pokémon to begin launching their own attacks.

Brav nimbly tilted its body left and right to dodge until it finally locked onto the Amoonguss and dove at it with both wings spread out for a Wing Attack. The Mushroom Pokémon reeled while two of the Sages jumped out of the way to avoid also being hit as Black and Brav shot past them all towards the next chamber. When he looked over his shoulder each of the Pokémon and eight trainers seemed to have found an opponent and was locked in combat except for the leader of the Sages. He furrowed his brow as he watched Black and finally called out a Pokémon for himself in order to pursue.


	3. Chapter 3

Further ahead, Black kept his eyes trained on what was in front of him. Looking back a second time might be enough to make him turn back. He became so focused on the path ahead that he failed to notice the five-pronged burst of flames that was rapidly closing in until Brav let out a shriek. Black was tossed from the Braviary's back as it flapped about to keep from crashing into the wall or any of the hanging rocks. It recovered just as its trainers rolled onto his stomach to see where the attack had come from.

"I've had enough of you, boy! I will not allow a child to put our entire region in danger over concern for one life!" The leader of the Sages said. He gestured outward with an open palm and his Hydreigon lifted its head and both arms. It open all three of its mouths wide and began building up another Fire Blast between them.

Black began to hesitate; Brav wouldn't be able to withstand another attack after already being hit once. He took half a step back and began raising his arms to brace himself until Brav suddenly let out a forceful screech. The Braviary gave its wings an exceptionally hard flap and darted directly at the Hydreigon in a burst of pure speed from Aerial Ace, aiming for its main head. The impact caused the Fireblast to misfire up towards the ceiling and burst in a shower of ice and rubble.

The Sage turned around to follow Brav and ordered for Hydreigon to take aim again. The Valiant Pokémon continued to fly past him then pulled up as high as it could before looking back down at its trainer. Black stared back for only a moment before he recognized the beginning of Brav's strongest attack. He furrowed his brow and gave a nod to show that he understood.

"Brave Bird!"

Brav let out another screech as it tucked in its wings tightly for another dive. This time, its speed was enough that its body appeared to burst into flames that shielded it as it passed through the second Fire Blast. It emerged on the other side cloaked in a bright blue aura that struck Hydreigon. More debris rained down from above as both Pokémon recoiled from the attack. At first, both seemed to recover, but Hydreigon suddenly lurched forward with an anguished roar and collapsed before Brav drifted wearily to the ground before it, too, fainted.

The two Pokémon were returned to their Pokéballs, but the leader of the Sages began to reach for another, but before he could a large icicle that had been disturbed during the battle began to fall. The Sage looked up in time to see, but before he could react, the falling shard impaled his mask. The metal had protected the rest of his body from harm, but he still immediately clasped both hands over the newly exposed part of his face and sank to his knees with a snarl.

The better part of Black wished to help the elderly man. He took a step forward to lend a hand, but a second icicle suddenly fell in his path that caused him to stop and look up instead. More chunks of ice and rock were beginning to fall and as Black avoided them he found himself backing away towards the next chamber until he was cut off from the Sage completely.

When Black turned around again, his jaw dropped. This new chamber was, indeed, different from the rest of the cave. The frost that covered the ground and walls was so thick that they appeared completely white with no trace of the stone underneath, and the entire chamber seemed to give off its own faint glow from reflected light. Even more shocking, however, was the strange figure that was curled up in the middle of the space.

It had a stone-grey body with a skin texture that seemed to match. The head had a gigantic maw and a yellow crest on the center of its forehead as well as a pair of jagged horns that almost resembled icicles. Down its neck and back it had a plate, and strange, spindly-looking wings that also resembled ice. Its forearms were probably the only thing small about the creature, but its large hind legs and claws more than made up for this. Even its otherwise stubby tail appeared dangerous because of its spiked blue tip.

The creature sleeping before Black was none other than Kyurem, but more important was the one standing in front of Kyurem. It was White. Her back was facing Black, but as he began to slowly approach her he could see that she had her head down and her hands clasped. She kept both eyes closed, but her mouth was moving, though Black couldn't hear her constant chanting. It wasn't until he said her name that White opened her eyes and lifted her head with an audible gasp before turning towards him.

The two stared at each other, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. There were so many things that Black wanted to tell her all at once, but now that he was here he didn't know where to start. All he could do was keep staring into her eyes and awkwardly shuffle towards her as if he still wasn't sure if she was real or not. Then, White slowly began to smile at him and he was finally able to speak again.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," Black said, offering her his hand once he was close enough. White began to lift her own hand to take his, but quickly retracted it by holding it up against her chest with the other.

"But what are we going to do about Kyurem?" White asked, glancing over her shoulder at the sleeping dragon. Black reached beneath the collar of his shirt and pulled out the stone he was wearing around his neck.

"This is the Light Stone, White, and inside of it is a powerful Pokémon called Reshiram. That pendant you've been wearing around your neck matches mine. It's called the Dark Stone and it also has a powerful Pokémon inside of it called Zekrom. If we can call them from the stones then they just might be strong enough to defeat Kyurem together… at least, that's what my father believed," Black explained as he gripped his Light Stone tightly.

White murmured in awe as she shifted her focus down towards her own stone. She had no idea it had such power.

"But how do we summon Reshiram and Zekrom?" she asked.

"I'm not sure… I was hoping that just bringing the two stones together would be enough…" Black admitted. The first time it had reacted all he had seemed to do was touch White, so what was different now? As Black continued to stare at the Light Stone in his hand it emitted a faint glow.

"_Sing…_" a voice said that had seemed to come from the Stone.

Black's eyes widened. A song….no, a _prayer_ like the one White used to calm Kyurem. He lifted his head to look up at her, but White was already staring back. She gave him a nod and reached out to join hands with him. They both closed their eyes and lowered their heads in the way White had been before and began their song.

_What do you wish for?_

_Your Future_

_ Why do you wish for that?1_

_...Can I go back to that day?2_

_ I was chasing-_

_I was chasing-_

_ -that kind smile only you can give_

_ Endlessly-_

_-Despair_

_ -a voice sings._

_-Becomes hope_

_ -If I keep shouting-_

_-Only if I pray-_

_ -I can change fate._

_-Endlessly-_

_ -Still, for now-_

_-Far, far away-_

_ -your mourning3-_

_-Echoing in song..._

_ -Echoes in Song..._

Black could feel the warmth of the two stones resonating for the second time, but something was wrong. White's hands began to tremble until they slipped from his and she collapsed before Black could open his eyes and even try to catch her. He dropped to his knees and propped her body up into a seated position, but White's breathing was shallow and her body was quickly growing cold.

"…Why?" was all that Black could manage, but the question had a million different endings in his head. Why did this happen? Why now when he was so close to freeing her once and for all? Why couldn't he have come sooner?

"...Now do you understand?" came the voice of the Seven Sages' Leader from behind. His clothes had become slightly torn in his escape from the minor cave-in and some of his hair now hung over his face to cover where his mask had been.

"Your efforts to save that girl were doomed to fail just like the others before you. There was nothing you could do from the start. You shouldn't cry, though, you should be proud. Your friend there managed to protect Unova for almost ten whole years so her death wasn't in vain. Which is more than I can say for those other friends of yours that you abandoned…" he continued.

The mental image of all of his three friends being defeated made Black grit his teeth to hold back the tears he was already suppressing. He turned his head to scowl at him, but the sudden movement made the Light Stone around Black's neck bounce along with him. This was the first time the Sage had noticed it, causing him to raise an eyebrow in mild interest.

"Now I see. You had intended to use Reshiram and Zekrom like that man from ten years ago. I wondered why you had seemed so familiar when I first saw you; you're even using the same Pokémon."

"You knew my father?" Black asked with a defensive posture over White as the Sage shuffled closer to study his features.

"Oh, yes. I remember that man very well. He looked a lot like you and he came here with that girl's father and a Sage from their hometown named Ghetsis. Each one of them fought bravely for their own reason, but in the end Kyurem proved to be too much for them. The two men wielding Reshiram and Zekrom perished and the Dragon Stones were lost, but not before Kyurem was severely wounded," he recalled.

"What about Ghetsis?" Black began to ask again until he felt White's body suddenly grow tense and she gave his hand a light squeeze. He quickly secured his grip on her, but when Black looked up again the Sage had begun smirking.

"He was the only one of them who managed to survive, but just barely. Lucky for me…" his smirk grew into a jagged grin.

"…You?" Black repeated as his own body began to stiffen with a sudden sense of foreboding. The crest at the top the Sage Leader's staff began to glow an icy blue and he lifted his head, causing the hair that had been covering his face to part. Underneath was a golden eye with a slit for a pupil surrounded by scaly grey flesh.

"That's right. His body was then able to become my temporary home. While he and his subordinates would continue warning their people about Kyurem to keep away any unwanted intruders that might prematurely awaken me, the Diva would continue to perform her ritual and allow for me to rest until I could fully recover and reclaim my body."

The glow coming from Ghetsis's staff intensified until it engulfed his entire body and Black had to close his eyes. By the time he was able to open them again all that was left of Ghetsis was a pile of black robes. Behind Black, Kyurem let out a low growl. He turned around just time to see the dragon lift its head to loom down over him and White.

"Please open your eyes, White, we need to move!" Black pleaded, giving her body a light shake. He didn't want to risk harming her any further with sudden movement by carrying her, and even if he did he might not be fast enough to escape. She stirred slightly, but remained unconscious.

"_It's no use, boy. Her life had been extinguished and without someone to help you wield the Stones, yours soon will be, too. Now you're going to learn what happens when you try to change fate!"_

Kyurem opened its mouth and began building the same icy blue light while a cold mist seeped out that began to form large ice crystals as it prepared its Glaciate attack. Black wrapped his arms tightly around White to shield her as best he could and lowered his head to brace himself. There was the sound of a horrific wind and Black let out his own wail, but he felt no cold or pain. Instead, Black felt another squeeze of his hand before he was surrounded by the warmth of the Stones once again. When Black lifted his head there were two large figures standing between him, White and Kyurem.

The first was pure white and seemed to be covered in fur. It had a long, flowing mane down its back and two rings around its neck. Its forearms were long and wing-like, both ending with a clawed paw. Its powerful hind legs allowed it to stand erect and it had a large, long tail that resembled a turbine engine.

The second was black and also stood on two legs as well as possessing a turbine-like tail, but the rest of its structure gave the appearance of armor. It had a crown on its head that resembled a storm cloud and a horn on its snout. It had a pair of large, fan-like wings on its back that were completely separate from its forearms, unlike the other.

"Reshiram and Zekrom…" Black said in awe as he stared up at the two new dragons as White began to lift herself up. The two smiled at each other until a sudden roar of anger redirected both of them back to Kyurem.

"_It doesn't matter! I will defeat them again just like when your father tried to stand against me, and this time I will make sure that the Stones are lost forever!_"

Black helped White to stand and the two turned to face Kyurem as the Boundary Pokémon prepared to use Glaciate a second time. Reshiram and Zekrom let out their own roars of defiance before they appeared to glance back at Black and White.

"…_Now! Lend us your strength with your song_"

Black and White joined hands once again and reassumed their stance from before.

_Circling-_

_ Living-_

_ -the world-_

_ -within my arms-_

_ -are blessings and peace._

_ -is a place to sleep._

_ My fate-_

_ Ah, it's fading,_

_ -will end for now._

_ -this body of yours_

_ -but how long will this last?_

_ -but how long will it last?_

White's hand began to tremble again, but this time Black tightened his grip to secure her. As the two sang, Reshiram's body became cloaked in a giant fireball while Zecrom's became shrouded in electricity. The two forces expanded that together made a barrier when Kyurem unleashed its Glaciate, stopping it in place.

_ Our voice begins…_

_ The future shines-_

_ I will try to give-_

_ -eternally-_

_ -a happy end4-_

_ -in a continuing requiem._

_ -where you can be with me._

_Light,_

_ I will go against death-_

_Fate,_

_ -and fate._

_Darkness-_

_Now, everything-_

_-Is released!_

_-Is released!_

Black and White turned their bodies to face Kyurem. They kept one hand linked and raised the other outward with an open palm as if issuing a command for an attack.

_Sleep within the light!_

_ Sleep within the light!_

Reshiram and Zekrom released their Fusion Flare and Fusion Bolt. The two attacks combined into one massive ball of light that sent the immobilized ice shards from Glaciate back towards Kyurem before engulfing everything. Black quickly took White in his arms again before he had to close his eyes once more.

This time when the light faded both Reshiram and Zekrom were gone, but Black could still feel faint warmth emanating from the Stones the dragons had come from. All that was left of Kyurem now was a stone statue. White had fallen unconscious again, but although her breathing was slow it was steady now and her body was warm.

"Black!" multiple voices cried as Cheren, Bianca and Hugh rushed into the chamber, followed shortly after by the six sages. At first, the only thing any of them could do was stare at Kyurem's petrified form before Cheren finally noticed White.

"…Is she?" He asked cautiously.

"No, she's just sleeping," Black said in a quite tone, smiling with relief.

"Thank goodness…" Bianca smiled too as she crouched down beside Black for a better look at the new girl.

"Young man, what you did goes beyond reckless, but you have also done what none of us had the courage to do, and for that we all owe you a great debt of gratitude. There is no excuse for what we have done, but I hope that you can forgive us. We truly believed we were doing what we had to in order to keep our region safe," one of the Sages said before he knelt apologetically before Black and the other five Sages followed. Black rose to his feet with White still in his arms, taking care not to disturb her.

"It doesn't matter. What important is that White is safe now and Kyurem has been sealed away. We can all go home now and tell everyone in Lacunosa Town that they don't have to be afraid anymore," Black said.

"I'll make sure that everyone in Aspertia City knows, too," Hugh added, enthusiastically raising his fist.

"And we will all do our part as well so that all of Unova knows what you have done here," one of the Sages said.

White slept for the whole trip back to Lacunosa Town and through the whole rest of the night after that. When she finally woke up the next morning, she was able to continue living with Black and his mother there where she would also become fast friends with Bianca. When Cheren returned to the Nacrene City Gym he told Lenora all about what he had learned about the real Kyurem, Reshiram and Zekrom from Black and even began creating new records for each of them.

After that day, the Giant Chasm was no longer a forbidden place. Wild Pokémon soon returned to the area, though they and the occasional human visitors would still avoid the cave near the middle where Kyurem had lived. Those who did venture too close would say that, on exceptionally cold nights, a low growl could still be heard coming from deep within the cave.

1 Those who are familiar with the song might notice that I reworded the line here slightly. Originally, it is worded as "What I wished for is…why?" and so I simply chose to correct the grammar.

2 Essentially, her answer is "It's been so long that I can't remember" in question form.

3 The word used here is "_tomurai_" which more literally translated to "funeral", but I chose to soften the wording slightly. It should also be noted that without the "_I_" character, the "tomura" character becomes "condolence" or "mourning"

4 The word used is "_horobi_" in which the "_horo_" character literally means "death" or "ruin". However, the "_bi_" character is coupled with means "beauty"; a beautiful death. However, given that Blacks goal is to STOP White's death it felt counterintuitive (even if it is, presumably, implied to be at a different time) so I chose to soften the wording here a bit.


End file.
